Endgame
by Woodsballer
Summary: They chose him for his skill. Now he has no choice but to play the game with only one rule: win or die trying. SEMI-ORIGINAL STORY; NOT A TRUE CROSSOVER! COMPLETE
1. Prologue

Endgame

**Endgame**

By Bradley Snyder

**Prologue**

A warrior's body slowly burned, now nothing more than ash and a few bones.

Six great beings looked down upon it. "Quite a shame," one said with no remorse. "Now we will have to look for another."

"Nothing to worry about," another said. "We already have one prospect lined up."

"Really?" the first asked. "And who might that be?"

The second grinned as thunder cracked the air.

**Legal Disclaimer: I'm sorry, but since this is not completely original, I must have this. Characters, places, situations, themes, etc. are mine. Any similarities to anyone else works are completely coincidental. Several pieces used are NOT mine, however, to avoid making this a spoiler theatre, Legal Disclaimers for those will be found in the chapters of use.**


	2. Chapter 1

1

**1**

Kevin Stolling walked into the arcade on a crisp Saturday morning, long denim pants dragging along the wood. Not many people came to the boardwalks this early, so he often chose this time to come.

A grey-haired man looked up from the toy counter. "Hey, K! Welcome back. I heard about New York. Great work!"

"Thanks, Mr. North," he said with a smile.

"You ready for Boston next week?" The old man flipped a gold coin into the air.

"You know it," he answered, pulling the coin from the air. The man returned to his business. The two had known each other for several years. He was the first man to introduce Kevin to the machine that now made him famous.

He walked to the back of the arcade, where his machine waited: a standard DDR Supernova. Kevin was the East Coast Champion of the DDR Street League. North acted as his sponsor by letting him train in the arcade and helping to pay for bus tickets in exchange for continued business and spreading the arcade's rep.

Stepping onto the glowing arrows, he slipped the coin into the slot. "LET'S D…D…R!" The first two songs were nothing special. For number three, he played his trump card: _Legend of Max_ on Expert. Most would call him crazy, but that was his catch. The judges loved people choosing extremely difficult songs. The fact that he played the song well only added to the punch. Throw in the routine, which most would never try to do at the song's speed, and it was always a winner.

The song left him breathless, but incredibly excited. Nothing else woke him up better. A big **A** was blazoned across the screen. "WOW! YOU A DDR CHAMP!"

He breathed out, "Yes!"

He was about to turn away when, "TRY THE ULTIMATE SONG?"

He stopped. There was never an "Ultimate Song" on any DDR cabinet, yet there it was: "_INSANE_ by Unknown." He almost walked away. His legs were aching from _Max_. Curiosity got the best of him. He hit Start.

The screen suddenly flashed a brilliant blue. Kevin turned away from the intense light and shielded his eyes. But by the time he did, it was gone. Well, not gone, but everywhere. He was completely surrounded by blue. The arcade, the DDR machine, the sounds of the ocean were all gone. Yet the four arrows still sat at his feet.

Kevin was struck with bewilderment. "_Where am I?_" He turned around, looked up and down, but nothing was there but the blue and the arrows.

"ARE YOU READY?"

He turned back. Four arrow outlines had appeared up in the air. They started beating out a tempo. Colored arrows suddenly materialized out of the ground and moved up towards the outlines.

"_Looks like this is the song."_ He stepped forward and started hitting out the arrow sequence. It started simple, but suddenly doubled in speed. Kevin adjusted and kept going, only to have it quicken again.

It was starting to become difficult to focus. His legs started to ache again. He forced the thought from his mind and kept going, not even really thinking. His body moved uninhibited to the music.

The music sped up once again, and Kevin gave out a small scream as his legs were pushed to the limit. The song ended just as he collapsed to the ground. "SONG CLEAR!"

The arrows suddenly faded, leaving him in an empty space. A voice suddenly called, "Well played!"

Kevin sat up, wiping sweat from his forehead. "Who's there?"

"We will accept you."

"What do you mean?"

Everything flashed again. The ground vanished, giving him a sensation of falling, just before everything went black and senseless.

--

"Is he awake yet?"

"No. Stop asking."

"Jeez. Sor…ry. But if he doesn't get up soon, we'll be down a man AGAIN. And the Boss is not going to like that."

He awoke suddenly, his eyes flashing open. A dark-skinned woman stood over him, but not looking down. He quickly rolled away from her and came up to a crouch.

The woman and a short man close by jumped back. Both of them were wearing light blue sweats and t-shirts. The woman recovered first. "Dude, you can't do that. It's viable to get you killed."

Kevin looked around. The room looked like some kind of mansion lobby. Stairs on one side spiraled up while double doors led into a large living space. The whole thing was covered in wood and tile, but gave off a slight blue color. "Where am I?"

The man gave a little _huff. _"About time you woke up." Then he simply turned and strolled up the steps like nothing was wrong.

Kevin turned his eyes back to the woman. "Where…am…I?" he asked again.

She met his gaze with a stony gaze of her own. "This is the Wind Mansion. You've been selected for the tournament." She turned and also started to walk away.

Now he was seriously confused. "Wait! What tournament? WHERE AM I?"

She stopped just short of the double doors. "I'll say this once." For a moment there was silence, as if she was carefully choosing the words to say. "Whatever life you knew…it's gone. Here is here. Your only purpose now is to play the game…" She turned and seemed to drill her gaze into him. Her piercing glare sent shivers down Kevin's spine. "And pray you are better than the one you replaced."


	3. Chapter 2

2

**2**

**A/N: If I may ask, why would you all read and not leave a review? Make it a habit. When you get to the end of them chapter, just go ahead and hit the blue button and leave a review. Thanks.**

The large living space just past the double doors was large and lush, with light blue wood paneling similar to the entranceway. Several large couches lay in a semi-square in front of a fireplace and television. Another door in the back led to another room.

Kevin didn't bother to stop and admire the décor. He followed close behind the woman, continuing to fire off questions. "What game? I didn't sign up for anything like this! I have to get back or my mother's going to kill me."

The woman moved around a couch and sat down. "Well, you aren't the youngest player we've had. Fire once had a 9-year-old." She reached out and grabbed the remote from a coffee table.

Kevin sighed. It was clear he wouldn't get any real answers out of her. "Maybe we started off wrong." He stretched out his hand. "Hi. I'm Kevin Stolling."

She took his hand and shook it, never looking away from the TV. "Princess of Persia. Princess for short."

Kevin let out a light laugh. "'Princess of Persia'? That sounds more like game-name rather than an actual name!"

"That's all anyone has around here. And you'd best get yours quick and stop using your real name! The Bosses don't appreciate that much."

"What Bosses? Who are they?"

Princess, Kevin decided to just go with that as she wouldn't give a real name, sighed and turned off the television. "Ok, since you're new here, I'll give you a rundown. But I can't tell you everything."

Kevin sat down, the couch leather and deep. Finally he would be getting some answers.

"Everyone here was selected by the Bosses to participate in a big tournament of sorts," she started. "Only those that are the best at some game are picked. I was a specialist of _Prince of Persia._"

He laughed again. "That explains the name. But who are the Bosses you keep talking about?"

"There are six teams of three. The teams are named after the elements: Wind, Fire, Earth, Water, Light, and Metal. Each team is overseen by a Boss. You only see them in the Nexus, but they're always there, watching."

"Right, so the Bosses are the bad guys. What game is this a tournament for?"

"Anything and everything. If it was ever a game, it's open. The Bosses cycle choosing the games."

"OK. So I win the tournament. Then what? Do I go home?"

"You don't get it," she said with a shake of her head. "There is no end. We're bound to play for all eternity. No one ever goes home or leaves."

Kevin stopped in silent shock. Eternity. Stuck here for good? "No. There's got to be a way…. You said I should try to be better than the one I replaced. That means there's some way out of this tournament," his voice almost betraying his fear.

Princess closed her eyes. "There is one way. If one player does not perform well enough to please the Bosses, they remove the immortality granted to them."

"So they die."

Princess nodded.

This was just getting better and better. Kevin stood up and began to pace as his mind raced over this new information. Not only did it seem that he was stuck here, but he was now fighting for his life. "No, I won't do this."

"You have no choice. You've already been chosen." She stood up and faced him from across the sofa. "Everything about you has been augmented: your body, your mind, your clothing…"

Kevin looked down at himself. Strange…he had not noticed, but he was wearing a sweat suit identical to Princess'. Not only that, but his muscles seemed to be more built than they were previously. Being a DDR champ required physical fitness, but he never spent any time in the gym.

"You're a player now. Nothing can change that."

From somewhere, a trumpet bugled. Kevin and Princess both perked up. "It is time for your first match," Princess said with a smile. "See you on the battlefield."

Kevin looked up confused. Before he could utter his question, the room was engulfed in light.

**A/N: Now is when you hit the button.**


	4. Chapter 3

3

**3**

Just as quickly as it came, the light disappeared. Kevin was standing with Princess and the other man that was there when he awoke. They were inside a large triangle of light. Other areas of similar shape were spread around them, forming a rainbow hexagon. Each section had three members and one glowing orb overhead. Looking up, Kevin saw a globe over his own head, light blue in color.

He took a moment to look over the other teams. Each one wore their own clothing with team symbols stuck to their chest. Kevin then noticed Princess. Her sweats were gone! In its place was an old Middle-Eastern outfit that looked like it was taken straight from _Aladdin._

Kevin looked down at his own clothing. His sweats were gone as well. In their place were baggy jeans, a tight white tank top, and red ball cap on sideways. He recognized the outfit. It was his costume for DDR Tournaments. But how had he gotten it? And in only an instant too. His mind turned to the Bosses. They seemed to have more power here than he first thought.

Suddenly the red orb to his team's left seemed to speak. "We are gathered. Wind, it is your turn to choose the game."

The light directly overhead responded, "In honor of our newest competitor I am calling the Agni Ki!"

Everybody in the room suddenly cheered and threw up their arms. Kevin was the only one that didn't. "What's an Agni Ki?" he whispered to Princess.

"It is a special challenge. The winner gets a special weapon for use in any game."

"If you call the Agni Ki, you forfeit your right to choose the game," the grey orb called.

The white light flashed. "It is our right to choose, as we lost the last match."

"Very well," said the blue orb.

"The game will be the Horus Maze!"

Once again, everyone except Kevin cheered.

The light around them flashed, blocking Kevin's view of the other teams.

The light left them in a completely new location, this one by far the weirdest. Black walls with blue wall-lights lined up on either side and vanished around turns at both ends. Small yellow pellets floated a few yards in either direction. There was something else new. Each person, himself included, wore a vest with a cavity right in the center of the chest.

Without a word, Princess and their teammate split up, each one grabbing a pellet and placing it into their chests. They vanished with a small flash. Not breaking stride, they continued on, disappearing around the corners.

There was a moment of silence as Kevin tried to contemplate what he was supposed to do. Nothing came to mind. A loud crash broke his concentration and almost threw him to the ground. "Uh…wait up, Princess!"

He turned left. Princess was crouched against the wall across another intersection. "Princess, what's going on?" He walked over towards her.

Princess saw him and threw up a hand. "No. Stop!"

Too late. He stepped into the clearing of the crossway. A quick round of explosions rang into the air. The wall beside him shook under a sudden impact, but that didn't log with him. What did was a sudden punch to his arm. He fell back against the dark wall, hand flying to his shoulder. It was wet. Bringing his hand away brought a dark red liquid with it.

Kevin's eyes bulged. He had just been SHOT!

There was another burst of gunfire and Princess was in front of him, holding some kind of knife to his chest. "Forgive me." With a push, she plunged the dagger in.

He gasped for breath that wouldn't seem to come. Pain lanced through his chest, seizing his heart. Just as his vision started to cloud, everything froze…and then slowly moved back. The blade was pulled from his chest without a sound. Princess vanished from his view. His hand moved back up to his shoulder as he moved back out into the open. The bullet was pulled from his shoulder and flew back down the hall. Without being told, his body moved back behind into the safety of the hall.

In a moment, he was walking forward again! He stopped just short of the corner as the guns burst, tearing into the wall. Princess waited for it to stop and quickly rolled over to him, missing another round of fire. "What was that?!"

She held up a brown-hilted dagger, the end of it filled with fine sand. "The Sands of Time. You forget; I focused on _Prince of Persia_."

"So you've got magic?" This was getting to be too much.

"Everyone has some ability."

"Oh great. I played DDR, so what does that give me? Serious dance moves?!"

"Sounds good enough to me." She pulled out a black pistol from a pocket. "Take this. Give me some cover."

Before he could respond, she thrust the pistol at him and turned the corner. He leaned out, gun pointed lazily down the hall. He could now see who had attacked them. It was a large man in red armor, holding some kind of automatic rifle. He brought it up and fired at Princess.

Princess tucked into a roll and jumped up onto the wall, using her moment to run along it. The soldier brought his gun back up, but she jumped over to the other wall too fast for him to get a bead on her. With another push, she lunged down into another roll that brought her straight in front of the man. She spun, bringing her blade across the large man's neck.

The brute staggered back for a moment. The armor suddenly began to split apart before vanishing completely. A few pellets fell to the floor in the spot he had stood.

Kevin froze in shock. "You just killed him!"

She picked up the pellets and placed them into her vest. "Yeah, no thanks to you. I said to keep me covered."

"There's no way I can do that!" He threw the gun back at her. She caught it mid-flight. "I'm not going to kill someone."

"If you don't, they will! Besides, they're not really dead! Just out for the game!" Princess breathed a heavy sigh and put a head to her forehead. "We don't have time for this. Come on, we have a game to win." She turned down another hall and started running off.

**Legal Disclaimer: Pac-man is not own by me and is not used in this scenario for profit. It IS owned by Namco **

**Prince of Persia is owned by Ubisoft. I am also not using it for profit.**


	5. Chapter 4

4

**4**

Kevin quickly followed Princess. "So how do we win this game?"

"The goal is to collect as many pellets as possible in five minutes. Of course, most usually go for the win by elimination."

Kevin finally caught up to Princess and grabbed her shoulder, pulling her to a stop. "I'm not going to hurt anyone, even if it won't kill them."

Princess looked him in the eye. "Then you won't last long." She turned and continued down the corridor. "Eventually you'll have to fight."

An explosion blew out the wall between Princess and Kevin, sending them sprawling in opposite directions. Another red-suited man stepped into the hall, a bazooka laying on his shoulder.

He turned to look at Kevin. "Ah, if it isn't the new guy." The voice was actually female and sounded metallic, like it was coming through a speaker. She aimed to bazooka towards him. "Dance for me."

Kevin's instincts seemed to come alive as flame began to erupt from the tube. He tucked his shoulder and threw himself at the ground. The small rocket began to emerge, quickly gaining speed. His legs came forward, still in the air. With a twist, he began to spin, legs rotating in the air.

The missile seemed to jump into high gear, blasting towards him. Still spinning, his leg rose up and caught the side of the missile with his foot, moving it off course. It blasted past and into the far wall as he twisted and jumped back onto his feet.

Both of them froze in shock and exclaimed in unison, "What the crap?"

Princess jumped the soldier from behind, cleanly slitting her throat like the other. "Nice move."

Kevin didn't move. "I don't even know how I did it…"

"I already told you. You're being altered. One of the parts is your reflexes."

"You mean their messing with my head? Is there anything these Bosses can't do?"

Princess picked up the pellets left by the red soldier and continued on. "Not really."

Now it was starting to get to be too much for him. "N…no. I can't do this. I won't let them turn me into something I'm not!"

She stopped but didn't turn. "It's a little too late for that. You're stuck here and you can't control anything aside from whether you live or die. Get used to that fact." A siren blared for second. "Half-time. We'd better hurry." She started to leave.

Having nothing else to do, Kevin followed.

Kevin followed behind Princess. Despite the current situation, he couldn't help but admire his stamina. He could run constantly and not tire.

Another minute passed without any big events.

Princess stopped to peer around another corner before giving a nod and turning.

Something large smashed into her front. She flew back and slammed into the wall, her body vanishing and leaving a pile of pellets. Kevin jumped back.

Another red player stepped around the corner, reaching for the pellets, when it saw Kevin. "Two for one? Too easy." He drew a pistol and leveled it at Kevin's chest.

His mind raced. Princess was gone! Now he was alone with someone who was about to kill him two feet away. He started to panic.

The trigger was pulled.

Kevin's body went into overdrive. Faster than he thought possible, his body fell back parallel with the floor. The bullet passed a hair over his cheek. He shoved off the ground, bringing his legs up and kicking the gun out of the man's hand. He completely a full flip landing in a crouch. He grabbed the pistol from mid-air, aimed, and fired.

The entire act was over in a second. Kevin stared as the body teetered and vanished, dropping pellets over the floor. His mind finally caught up with his body. He dropped the gun in horror and fell back against the wall. He had just killed the man! He had never done anything like that, even in video games. Sickness spread over his stomach, almost making him vomit.

Everything was silent save for a low rumble. Another group must be fighting.

There was nothing left for him. It dawned on him that this was going to be his life. Forced to fight for nothing more than petty victories. His stomach began churning.

The yellow orbs next to him drew his gaze. Nothing left. He picked one up. It was weightless yet had a definite being in his hand. He placed the pellet into the cavity on his chest and it vanished instantly. Moving quickly, he rounded up every one he could find in the area, placing them in his vest.

When he was finished, he walked off in a random direction. There must have only been a few minutes left. If he could simply avoid everyone else, he would be alright.


	6. Chapter 5

5

**5**

The final siren blared across the fields and the walls lowered into the ground. Kevin, who was hiding in a dead-end, stood and looked around when the other players came into view. There were only three others: one from Water, one from Metal, and one from Light. With so many pellets spread between so few players, it would be difficult for him to win.

The rest of the players stood out around the edge of the maze, looking inward.

But that was the last thing on his mind right now. It was still on what he had done to the man in red armor. In less than a day had become some sort of killing machine.

The six lights appeared in a ring over the players, in the middle of the lights, another item appeared in a flash of multi-colored light. From his place, it looked like a golden cross affixed to a long staff.

"The winner of the Crozius Arcanum…WIND!"

Kevin didn't think of the announcement for a moment. But he was forced from his thoughts when a thunderous applause broke them. He looked up. Everyone was looking at him and clapping.

"_Wait, I'm Wind."_ He then realized it. HE had won!

The staff slowly lowered down until it was floating in front of him. It was indeed a golden cross set onto a long piece of red wood. The cross glowed with a golden light.

"This is the Crozius Arcanum, the most powerful weapon available."

"You may use it for up to three games or trade it for any request."

Kevin heard that and perked up. "ANY request?"

"Any request short of returning to your past life."

He cursed. At this point, that had been his only hope.

He eyed the weapon floating before him before reaching out and grasping it. A strange sense of power instantly flowed through him, seeping into his veins. He spun it around, testing its weight. Holding it, he knew that he could use this to decimate his opponents, and that thought filled him with courage.

But if he wanted any chance of escaping, he needed something even more powerful.

With a flip, he grabbed the staff and drove it into the ground. "I'll exchange the staff."

The looks of congratulations and awe suddenly turned to murmurs and glances of disbelief. None of them could remember a time when one had traded the weapon for anything.

"Very well." The weapon glowed white and sank through the floor.

"What is your request?"

For a moment, he doubted that he was doing the right thing. He could ask for anything.

No. It had to be this. "I want knowledge."

There was a moment of silence, and Kevin wondered if he had done something he shouldn't.

All around, flashes of light took the other players away until only Kevin and the Bosses remained. "What knowledge do you seek?"

"I want to know about this place. Where, what is it? Who are you, the Bosses? Everything about this place I want to know."

The red globe flashed. "No! We will not divulge such knowledge to one so lowly."

"He has made an acceptable request," the white globe responded. "We should honor it." The other globes flashed once, almost in acknowledgement.

The rest of the space around them slowly became a pitch-black landscape. The six orbs began to glow even more brightly, bathing Kevin in multi-colored light. "Let the knowledge be passed to you," all six orbs spoke.

The inside of Kevin's mind flashed white-hot as information was suddenly forced into his brain. In an instant, he saw everything, all the way back to when this place was first formed…

_It started back in Japan. There had always been games among the humans, but none fascinated the gods more than the humans' video games. And yet even with their awesome power, the gods could not participate as they were a human creation and not their own._

_In their desire, they created this realm, where the gods would battle the mortals at their own games. Until a group of six bested the gods themselves. For their strength, the gods gave these six power over the realm as long as they continued the games for the continuing enjoyment of the gods. They accepted and became the six Bosses, choosers of the players and rulers of the realm._

_The Bosses have ruled for a hundred years, watching the humans and incorporating their new creations into the games. And to the ends of time is shall always be…_

Kevin shot up, suddenly finding himself back in the mansion and lying on the couch, Princess sitting at his side. "Welcome back," she said almost absentmindedly. "You're a fool, you know that?"

Kevin swung his legs down to the floor. "And how's that?"

"You just gave up the most powerful weapon you could hope for. And for KNOWLEDGE! What could you possibly want to know?!"

"A way out of here."

Princess looked over him and laughed. "I've told you before. There is no way out."

"Maybe not. The Bosses were given control here because they beat the ones who were in control before them. If we can best the Bosses, then we should get control and do whatever we want."

"But you can't beat the Bosses!" She stood up and started to walk away. "They're un-beat-able," she said, emphasizing each syllable.

"I'm not so sure," Kevin said, following her. "When they showed me this place's past, I also saw what the Bosses really look like." She stopped and spun aghast. "There may be a way to overpower them."

"Ok, so how do plan on doing it?" She finally seemed to be getting into it.

Kevin looked around the room. "I can't say now. They're probably listening. First, I need another Crozius Arcanum. The rest I'll explain later."

She smiled smugly. "So the thing you need you traded up. You must feel stupid right now. You're not going to get it, so just give up." She turned her back on him and walked out of the living room.

"Princess, wait…" It wasn't any use. He wasn't going to get her to join him until his plan was foolproof.

He turned back to return to the couch when a small box on the coffee table caught his attention. It had his name on the tag. He went over and opened the box. A note was sitting on top of a strange sweatband. The note was typed in plain English,

_We know your plan. Stop now. You will suffer less pain if you accept your condition._

_Please accept this gift in exchange. It will come in handy in the games._

_Wind Boss_

Kevin threw the note aside and picked up the little cloth band. It fit snuggle around his wrist, yet didn't make it feel hot in the slightest. In fact, it was almost unnoticeable by touch alone.

He had never seen it before, and yet he knew what it could do. He knew of every weapon possible thanks to his new knowledge.

For now, he would let the Bosses have their way. If they wanted a fighter, they'd get one.


	7. Chapter 6

6

**6**

Kevin caught the other member of Wind in the lobby. "So what are you in for?" he asked to spark a conversation.

The man stopped walking. "_Assassin's Creed._ I'm the game speed run champion." He held out a hand. "Name's Altair's Hand. Altair for short."

Kevin took the handshake. "I'm Kevin, DDR Street Champ."

"No codename yet?" Kevin shook his head. "Well, you'll get one soon enough."

Altair started off for the main room and Kevin followed. "Do you know what Princess' deal is? She seems really passive about being here."

"You mean she didn't tell you?"

"Tell me what?" Kevin asked, curious.

Altair sat on the couch and looked around. "Princess is the oldest player right now."

"How can that be? She can't be older than twenty-five."

"On the outside. She said she was a _Prince of Persia_ champ, right? Well, that was the _original Prince of Persia._"

"But…that was the eighties. She could have been very young."

Altair shook his head. "She was twenty-six when she became the champion and the Bosses chose her in 1990. She's been here ever since."

"But…that would make her almost fifty!"

Altair nodded.

The gravity of her situation sunk in. "So she's been playing for eighteen years?"

"Without any word of her family. When she first came, she was like you, wanting some way to get out. But now, she's defeated. The only thing she knows now is how to survive."

_Eighteen years!_ To play for that long! And not see her family at all. They could be dead or dying and she would never know. He felt a strong pang of sorrow for her. "Where is she?"

"Last I saw she was going up to her room."

He thanked Altair for the information and went to the lobby stairs. The upper floor was basically a long hallway with plush light blue carpet and four doors, two on each side. The far right was his own. The far left…no one knew what was beyond that door.

He went to the first door on the right and knocked. There wasn't an answer, so he knocked again. This time, "Come in."

He opened the wooden door and took a peak inside. A cabinet on one wall housed a row of weapons, including several pistols and stealth daggers. On the opposite wall lay a bed, where Princess now sat, a small piece of paper in her hand. Kevin shut the door behind him softly. "Altair told me about you."

She nodded, not taking her eyes off the piece of paper. He may have been mistaken, but he thought her cheek looked a bit wet.

He took the initiative and walked to her side. The paper was a photograph of herself, a tall man in a business suit and a young girl in his arms.

"My family," she said. "My daughter, Alexis." She rubbed a finger over the face. "Her birthday was two weeks ago." Her cheek was wet. Even now, tears fell. "I lost them when I came here."

Kevin put a hand on her back in comfort. "Don't worry. You'll see them again. I promise."

"No, I won't. They're dead."

Kevin shot back an inch. "W…what? Are you sure?"

"No, but they might as well be." She stood and put the picture into a small wooden box on a dresser. "It's easier than thinking they're living on."

Kevin also stood. "How can you say that? You're not even willing to harbor the chance that you'll see you're daughter again?!"

"When you're here for half the time that I've been, you start to learn that it's better to focus on what's important, and that's staying alive."

"If there's one thing I've learned through the years, it's that love is always stronger than hatred. If you really love your family, then you're not going to give up on them."

They didn't get a chance to talk further. A quick siren blared.

A flash of light transported them to the Nexus. The six lights hovered overhead. Kevin chanced a look to the side at the group in red armor. Two of them looked back and he could imagine them glaring under their black visors.

"The game shall be HALO Capture the Flag!!"

More cheers, as always. Kevin remained silent. He had never really liked Halo. Or any extremely violent games for that matter.

When the second burst of light receded, he was standing in a group of nine, all wearing some sort of deep blue armor, inside of a dark stone base. But he could tell his team apart from the others. Their armor was thinner and lighter than Light's and Water's. Everyone held solid Assault Rifles, even himself.

He looked over the weapon with nervousness and slight revulsion. "Isn't there some kind of job here that isn't as violent?"

One of the players from Light, sun emblem emblazoned on his chest, looked over at him. "What's wrong? Scared?"

"No. I just prefer something that doesn't involve shooting someone."

Kevin took a deep breath and cleared his head. This was no time to go soft. If he wanted to keep up his charade, he'd have to play along.

A cannon blast shook the base and everyone went out.

**Disclaimer: I do not own **_**Assassin's Creed**_** or **_**Halo.**__**Assassin's Creed**_** is copyrighted to Ubisoft; **_**Halo**_** is copyrighted to Bungie. Both were not used to gain profit in any way from this story.**


	8. Chapter 7

7

**7**

As the team separated, Kevin took a moment to admire the suit he was in. It was incredibly light and gave him a wide range of movement and yet felt tough and sturdy. The helmet was also intriguing. Whenever his vision glanced over another person, an emblem appeared over their head. Princess' was of a wisp of air around a silver tiara; Altair's was a wisp going around a thin dagger.

For a moment, Kevin wondered what his was. There was really no way of knowing at this point.

On top of all that, when he pointed the gun forward, a light blue targeting circle moved across his vision, following wherever his aim went. That would certainly come in handy.

When he finished his gear inspection, most of the team had already left. Only a member of Light was left with him. He quickly ran to a wall and grabbed a long sniper rifle. "Come with me. I'll need cover."

Kevin nodded and they jogged up a ramp and out into the open air. Their base was situated at the end of a long canyon. Several hills cut off their view from the rest of the area, but guessed the other base was on the other side. Gunfire could already be heard from the distance.

Kevin followed his current teammate to the side of the canyon. A ramp of rock led to a ledge that ran along the upper canyon wall. It was a good choice of placement; the height would let him use the rifle to maximum effect.

They turned a corner and the rest of the field came into view. It was indeed a closed canyon with base at each end. Most of the blue team had reached the midpoint and were scouting out the ground.

The Light soldier shouldered the rifle and peered down the scope. "One red, east wall, rocket launcher, too far to eliminate from here. Set up a pinch."

Kevin heard the voice from him and a speaker inside his helmet. A moment later, a reply came from the earpiece. "Confirmed. Princess and Hammer moving to intercept."

He pulled up his Battle Rifle and looked through the scope. Two emblems, one Princess' and the other of a large Hammer before a sun, split from the group and started moving along the far wall.

After a moment, he lowered the gun. "So what's your name?"

"I go by 'Pierce the Darkness.'" He never took his eye away from the rifle. "But that's not important to you. Just watch my back."

"_Nice guy."_ Kevin shrugged it off and moved past him, into a small cave to another part of the ridge. He stopped at the entrance on the other side and looked down the outcropping. It was clear the whole way to the enemy base.

No. A quick flicker of light around the corner drew up his gun. But then there was nothing. _"Cloak."_ It had to have been.

He pressed himself against the rock and dropped a grenade from a dispenser on his belt. If they kept moving and didn't see him…. He found the spot and thumbed the trigger before throwing the small sphere. It hit the wall and bounced once before exploding. Two large red bodies shimmered into view and fell to the canyon floor.

Kevin smiled to himself. "Two eliminated. Watch the side walls; it looks like they're trying to sneak around."

"Incoming Warthog!"

A large buggy suddenly turned from behind the red base and came barreling across the valley. A large turret on its back was spewing bullets as it went. Several bursts of fire from the blues struck the armor, but it didn't slow. Kevin added his own fire, somehow taking out a rider in the passenger side. "I'm moving back to defend."

"Negative," Pierce said over the radio. "I have them." Two quick shots streaked through the air and both men tumbled from the vehicle.

"Nice shot. Let's move up." Kevin pulled up his gun and ran along the wall, Pierce close behind. The stopped at the next turn and scoped the base. There was nothing visible. "Move forward."

Kevin kept his scope over the base's roof. A man in red suddenly came up and pointed a long barrel towards them. "Sniper on the roof!"

A flare erupted from the gun and an air stream ripped up. Pierce suddenly dropped. Kevin ducked to avoid more fire and looked over at the body. A clean hole had ripped through the helmet. "Pierce is down! Take out the sni…"

Another bullet blasted in and tore through Kevin's head. His body tumbled over. It was over so fast he didn't even have time to feel.

A moment later, Kevin was standing back in the base. Pierce was already starting to leave. "Wait, what happened?"

"Respawn. We were shot, so we come back in here."

"Pierce, you've got one coming in from the east. Go D!"

Pierce quickly twisted and crouched, pointing his gun down a hallway. Kevin did the same. _"If he's heavily armed, we won't stand a chance. We need an advantage."_ His eye caught the light blue sweatband, still wrapped around his wrist. _"Perfect."_

A red suit of armor turned the corner, a rocket launcher nestled on its shoulder. They were in trouble. A rocket launcher inside would eliminate them all without so much as a close shot.

Kevin threw up his hand and the band began to glow. A sudden gust of wind blew past them, slamming the red against the wall. Pierce quickly dropped a grenade into the hall, blasting the red to pieces.

As the cloud of smoke settled, Pierce turned to him. "Nice job," he said with a nod.

Kevin nodded back and scooped up the rocket launcher left behind. "What's the situation," he asked over the radio.

"Tricky. We've got them back to the base, but we're being harassed from both sides."

"We're on our way."

Just as they stepped outside, a fresh Warthog materialized. With wordless consent, Pierce jumped into the driver seat and Kevin stepped up to the rear turret, which was a large Gauss cannon rather than a machine gun. A fresh target reticule appeared in his visor as the buggy roared off over the hills. "Where's the opposition outside?"

"Sniper, east cliffs."

Kevin swung the turret slightly to the left and began scanning the wall. Just as the buggy crossed the map's center road, a red dot appeared against the cliff's brown. It was a long shot, but right now he had nothing to lose. He lined up the shot as best he could and pulled the massive trigger. A large explosive slug burst through the air and ruptured into the rock a second later. The blast sent the sniper careening over the edge. "Sniper down."

"Rockets, west wall."

Pierce did a quick 180, giving Kevin a perfect view of a rocket blasting towards them. He held a hand up in a mock uppercut as his wrist glowed blue. A sudden updraft caught the rocket and sent it harmlessly into the sky.

After a quick lineup, another explosive slug shot from the Gauss cannon and collided with a second rocket inches in front of the red's face. The blast killed him instantly.

Pierce brought the vehicle back around and parked it in front of the south entrance. They quickly rotated positions: Pierce took the turret and Kevin drew out his BR as he moved into the red base.


	9. Chapter 8

8

**8**

Even before he crossed the threshold, the sound of gunfire ricocheted through the halls. Kevin approached semi-cautiously, hoping the rest of his team was holding the others down. He turned a corner and found Princess pressed against the wall. "What's up?"

"They bunkered down. They have every entrance covered by guns."

"Even the ceiling hole?"

"Some kind of weapon shield. No shots can get in or out from up there."

Kevin's mind quickly ran through his list of strategies, which was almost pathetically short. To improvise, he remembered his history classes. _"Blitzkrieg: no, they'd just shoot us down. Pincer: we've already tried. Japanese:…"_ "It blocks weapons, but what about people?"

Princess looked back at him. In a quick glance, she understood his plan. "I'm on it."

"Here." He pulled out his last grenade and flipped it to her as she started to jogged down the hall. "I only need a second." She nodded and continued out into the sunlight. "Attack blues, get ready to charge. Go when you here the blasts and screams."

--

The reds formed a ring around the edge of the room, guns crossed over the two hallways leading into the central chamber where the flag stood triumphantly. If anyone tried to step out, they'd get blasted away instantly.

But someone stepped out of somewhere they didn't expect.

Princess stepped from the roof and landed right beside the flag. Instantly all guns turned on her and her body shook with bullet impacts. But it was already too late.

Several orbs bounced into the clusters of reds. Several shouted and reached for them, but they blew, throwing pieces of armor across the room.

--

As soon as he heard the explosion, Kevin turned the corner. An arm flew past his head and smacked into the wall with a sickening squish. Only one red remained, but he was too stunned to stop the others from the other side eliminating him quickly. Kevin sprinted over, grabbed the flag and continued out the other side of the room. His fellow blues collapsed around him as escorts.

"Pierce, take the wheel. We need immediate evac."

The Warthog was ready. A member from Water jumped up to the back and grabbed the Gauss cannon while Kevin jumped into the passenger seat. He was barely inside before it instantly started moving.

"Reds are moving in for the base. Two rockets front D. Two more reds moving in for the flag."

"The back's our only way in," Pierce said over the wind.

The band on Kevin's wrist began to glow. "No. Just go straight for the base. I'll get myself inside. Don't let off that gas."

They crested the halfway hill and two rockets shrieked across their side. The Water gunner shot one out before he could reload, but the other managed to get off another shot, a shot that was on a perfect path.

"_Not good…"_

A purple blur sped past them and connected with the rocket. The Ghost spun into the air, spitting flame and smoke. Kevin looked over. An emblem of a sun with a beam of light was superimposed with a red X. "Nice job, S," Pierce called without looking back.

The road to the base was completely clear. But the base was a straight wall. "I hope you've got a plan," the gunner called.

Kevin focused on his wristband, which was now glowing brightly. He raised his hand up. A sudden updraft rushed over his armor. The ground suddenly fell away as the Warthog was lifted up. Pierce screamed as the Warthog began to twist to the side. "I hate you!"

The Warthog passed over the base on its side. Kevin fell from his seat, flag in hand. The hole in the ceiling waited. Red soldiers were already inside, shooting up at him. He pulled his arms in, passing through the roof. Grenades were already on the floor waiting. He ignored them and buried the flag shaft into the ground on impact.

Just then the grenades exploded. He flew up his arm to protect himself, but the heat and shockwave never came.

When he lowered his arms, he was suddenly standing back in the Nexus, with the Bosses floating overhead. The Water and Light players as well as Princess and Altair were cheering while the others looked ashamed. _"That must mean we won."_

"Blues WIN!" The three teams cheered again. "And…" After a flash, Kevin suddenly found himself standing at the center of the Nexus. "Special congratulations to our newest player, Oni Phantom, who is showing great promise, even so early."

Kevin caught the name. The title was interesting. Whether they knew it or not, they had essentially just declared him a type of master. He liked it.

Everyone cheered this time, though he could tell it was half-hearted. Why would they want to cheer? He was taking their glory.

"Well played, all."

Yet another flash, and the three Wind players were back in the living space of their mansion. Kevin fell straight to the couch. That match had tired him out.

Altair sat on the other side. "Oni Phantom? What does that mean?"

"Oni and Phantom are two DDR terms. Oni is the hardest setting in the game; not even extremely good players do it very often. And Phantom is a game variant to make it harder."

"Wow. They must really think high of you to give you that title."

"I guess so." Inside, he wasn't really paying too much attention to him.

His mind was tumbling inside his skull. There was a part of this place's history that had caught his particular attention. Of the original six that defeated the gods long ago, the leader of them had been called the Phantom. He wasn't sure, but the thought that there may be some connection wouldn't leave.


	10. Interregnum

Interregnum

**Interregnum**

"Was it wise that we made such a move?"

"He has no way of overthrowing us. We have nothing to fear."

"After we showed him the past? There is more power there than in any weapon."

"For now, he can do nothing. Strength comes in numbers, and so they are powerless."

"You rely too much on that. The only thing that never changes is that all things change.

"Agreed. We must be cautious in our movements."


	11. Chapter 9

9

**9**

**A/N: I'm not sure if no one is reading or you're all just reading and not reviewing. If you read it, please leave a review. Thanks.**

He walked through the living room door into the kitchen. Princess was inside, leaning over the bar and eating a bowl of some cereal he didn't recognize.

Kevin pulled down a frying pan and grabbed some eggs from the fridge.

The kitchen was almost a contradiction of itself. If he ever wanted something, he would only have to open the fridge or oven and it would already be ready and waiting for him. But at the same time, it had full appliances so someone could make anything from scratch if they so desired. Usually he chose to simply make everything just for fun.

Princess didn't look up as he cracked the eggs and they sizzled down onto the hot metal. "It's just about time," he said almost absentmindedly.

"Is it?"

"The Agni Ki is up for grabs. I've already gained the trust of Water and Light. But I fear they were the easy ones." He flicked his wrist and the eggs flew into the air an inch and fell on their opposite sides, bringing new sizzles. The past weeks had let him get lots of practice. Then he finally turned to her. "I'm going to really need your help with the others."

"How's that?" She still didn't look up from her bowl.

"You've been here longer than anyone else. I need that experience to gain leverage on the other teams."

Her spoon fell to the bowl loudly. "You won't get any leverage! You…you're probably the best player in years. The other teams are going to see that as a challenge and will fight against you."

"Come on. I'm not that good. I haven't won a match since that Halo game."

"But in all seven since, you've managed to play a big role in helping the others win. That's not going to go unnoticed: by the players or the Bosses."

"But maybe I can use that to convince them that I can actually do this." She fell silent. "You of all people deserve to get out of here. Just give me some info. What's it going to hurt?"

Princess's gaze dropped and she let out a heavy sigh.

--

The subspace tunnel warped gently around him as he crawled. It was a small place he had found while snooping around one day. It connected to every team's mansions, letting him get from one to another with ease.

Plus, the Bosses didn't know it existed. Or they did and weren't interfering for some reason. Kevin could never be entirely sure. But they hadn't done anything to stop him yet, so he continued on.

As he crawled, he started to formulate his proposal using the information Princess had given him.

"_The Fire team is strong on honor. If you want their trust, you'll have to prove that they can trust you."_

That wouldn't be so hard. That's what he pretty much had to do for Light and Water.

The end of the tunnel started to open slightly. Through the opening, another room of red walls and furniture could be seen. One body moved around and closer to Kevin's current position.

When he got closer, Kevin suddenly reached out and grabbed his arm, pulling him forcefully into the tunnel. For a moment, he was too stunned to say anything. But as he was pulled into the strange area of subspace and saw Kevin, he began to scream and even reached for a small knife on his belt.

Kevin acted quickly and grabbed both the man's wrist and his mouth. "Shhh. Quiet. I am not here to hurt you. I'm here to make a proposition." The other man looked quite surprised, but didn't move a muscle. "I'm going to let you go. Please don't try to kill me."

He nodded. Kevin slowly released his grip and pulled his arms back. In a flash, the other man finished drawing his knife, but only held it ready and didn't say anything.

For a moment, there was silence, and Kevin took this chance to admire the man before him. He was quite muscular with a thick but short beard. His greatest features were the dozens of tattoos that adorned his arms. Kevin could make out everything from snakes to weapons to women. The overall appearance made him look incredibly tough.

Kevin decided to finally break the silence. "I am…"

"I know who you are, Oni Phantom," he returned. "I am Minion of Fire."

Kevin gave a bow of the head. "It is an honor to meet you, Minion of Fire, in a place other than the battlefield."

"Cut the formalities. You said you had a proposition to make. So make it."

"_He doesn't like to beat around the bush."_ "Do you wish to get out of this place?" That surprised the man again. "I believe I have found a way to defeat the Bosses."

"If they heard us talking of such things, they would strike us both down in an instant."

"Then it is good that they cannot hear us here." The man looked around suspiciously. "I can do it. But only if I have whole-hearted support from every team."

"You have proven many times in the past that you would fight us very readily. Why should we turn and trust you know?"

"Because now we have a true reason to fight. Why have you been fighting all this time?" Minion didn't seem to have a response. "It has always been for the pleasure of another that we have never seen. Well now we have a chance to finally fight for ourselves. Will you join me?" He held out his hand.

He examined Kevin's hand carefully, turning the situation over in his mind. "We cannot simply align ourselves to you. We must know you can be trusted."

"Very well. How about this? The only item I need for this to work aside from the team's allegiance is the Crozius Arcanum. When the time comes, I shall assure that you win the Crozius Arcanum. But then you must swear to lend your aid when I call for it."

For a moment, Minion faltered. "You'd give us the most powerful weapon of all time? Just like that?" His face changed. "I feel we can trust you."

The two shook hands and Kevin departed.

Could they actually be trusted? He sincerely thought so. And yet part of him wondered if had just made a huge mistake.


	12. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

"_The Earth team will only respect you if you can prove yourself stronger than them."_

That shouldn't be too hard. He had shown great skill in every previous match. Winning them over should be a snap.

After visiting the Fire team, Kevin had stopped back at the mansion just to keep up appearances that he was still there. Before he could slip back into the warp tunnel, they'd been called for another game. It had turned into one of the weirdest games of football he'd ever seen. But it had helped to maintain his alliance with Light and Water. The Alliance with Earth would have to wait for the next Agni Ki.

When the match was done, he went to the wall and entered the tunnel. At the other end waited a room of dark brown. Someone was standing on the far side of the room. Using a rush of wind, he pulled the man inside. He was sucked into the tunnel with barely a sound.

He searched around, suddenly startled. But he didn't say anything.

"Please, don't scream. I am here to form an alliance with you."

The man seemed to just then notice Kevin crouched next to him. "Phantom. Why do you wish to form an alliance with Earth?"

He told his plan quickly. When he finally finished, the Earth man rolled back slightly and let out a mighty laugh. "What you wish to do is impossible. But…if one such as you is foolhearty enough to try it, it might have a chance."

"Thank you," Kevin said with a smile.

"I didn't say we would join you. You must earn our help."

"How about this. If I can best you in the next game, you will join me."

He contemplated this for a moment. "It is a fair deal. My brothers will agree." They shook hands heartily and Kevin was off.

He took the tunnel back to Wind. He'd grab a bite to eat and then go to Metal.

He entered the living space to find Whisper Storm sitting on the couch. Altair had been deemed "unworthy" by the Bosses and had been killed in a racing crash. Kevin could still remember the scream as his racing car spun out of control and into the wall. But he couldn't do anything. If he interfered at all, the Bosses may see it as suspicious.

And so he was replaced by Storm. But Storm didn't turn his gaze from the television screen as Kevin walked in. They had gone through with this often enough that he knew not to be startled. Kevin simply crossed in front of him and went to the kitchen.

A banana cake and Princess were waiting inside for him. He grabbed a knife and began cutting up the dessert. "You care for any?"

She shook her head. A book was held lightly in her hand.

"Fire and Earth might be in," he said. He made it look like an absentminded comment, but both of their attentions were secretly focused. "I'll just have to play the next Agni Ki right." Still she didn't take her eyes off the book. He picked up the piece of cake and sat down across the table from her. "Now all I need to do is convince Metal."

"You won't be able to do that." She flipped the page. "Metal is ruthless. All they care about is winning. And they aren't afraid to hurt anyone to win, including each other."

Sounded like a rough bunch. How was he going to gain an upper hand on them?

"Is there any way you can do this without their help?"

Kevin chewed a piece of cake as he thought. "Maybe. But it would be a long shot. It will be much easier with them." He finished the cake and put the plate in the sink. It vanished even as he was turning. He walked to the door. "See you."

She gave an ever-so-slight nod, completely engrossed in her book.

--

The Metal living space was all grey. It even looked like the furniture was uncomfortable steel. Kevin watched for the perfect opportunity and pulled in the first man to walk by, grabbing his arm and forcing a hand over his mouth. He struggled, screaming obscenities and scratching up Kevin's suit. He had very sharp nails.

Kevin leaned in close when he got the chance. "Shut it!"

He froze and spoke through Kevin's hand. "What the hell do you want?"

"Same thing as you: to win. You want to win the best fight yet?"

He seemed to perk up. "Let me go and we'll talk."

Kevin withdrew his arms slowly. "How does being the new Boss sound?"

He smiled a grin that was full of glistening fangs. "I'm listening."

"You help me and I'll help you become one of the best fighters this tournament has ever seen!"

He leaned back and thought for a second. Kevin thought for a moment that he just might fall for it.

"How about…I just help myself!" The man lunged forward and grabbed Kevin's arm. With a swing, Kevin was suddenly forced out into the Metal mansion. The other members were somehow waiting and grabbed Kevin's arms.

"_What?! How'd they know about this? This is not good."_

The other member stepped out of the tunnel and grabbed Kevin's hair. "Hey, Boss! Looks like we got us a rat!"


	13. Chapter 11

11

**A/N: This chapter contains some elements that may be inappropriate for younger readers. Viewer discretion is advised.**

Kevin was suddenly in the Nexus, surrounded by the Bosses. They floated in their orbs of light, completely unmoving and yet all powerful.

And they didn't waste any time. "We know of your plan, Oni Phantom," the white orb said.

"It is doomed to failure."

"Did you honestly think that such a foolhardy attempt could do anything?"

The blue orb came lower. "Why do you do this, Phantom? Have you not received enough? You are one of the best warriors this tournament has ever seen."

He looked back at the sphere with malice. "And that is why I will kill you."

The orbs flashed and let out a deep laughter.

"You must be joking."

"No one can defeat us, the Bosses."

Kevin looked back up at them, undeterred. "We shall see about that."

The grey orb flashed brightly. "INSOLENCE!"

The Bosses began to float higher. "Oni Phantom, for refusing to accept the terms of the tournament and conspiring against the ruling Bosses, you are here-by stripped of your immortality." The light began to grow around him. "Pray you do not fail again." The light enclosed him and he was back at the Wind mansion.

Storm jumped up from the couch at his appearance. "Phantom? What happened?"

Kevin stood on the spot. His immortality was gone. If he died in any of the games, he'd be gone for good. He would never get home. Suddenly he felt incredibly weak. "Things just got really dangerous."

A trumpet sounded and he was back at the Nexus, joined by all the other teams. Kevin groaned. They sure knew how to hurt a guy emotionally.

The white orb flashed. "I wish to call an Agni Ki."

The players cheered, even Kevin joining them. This was it. If everything went well here, it could all be over.

The brown orb flashed. "Then Earth shall choose the game. It shall be…Mortal Kombat!"

All but one rose their voice in cheer. Kevin just shuddered as an icy chill sped down his spine. Of all the games, why did they choose this one? Mortal Kombat was the bloodiest game possible. And now he was without his immortality, so losing here would finish him. Plus, this was Earth's best game, and he'd have to beat them to gain their cooperation.

Everything was spiraling out of control faster than he'd ever thought possible.

The light began to change again, but this time it became pitch black. Kevin stopped to focus. Each Boss only had to choose one player, so there was a chance he wouldn't be chosen. The light returned and he was standing with five others inside a new room. It looked like an old Chinese dojo, but dozens of metal blades and killing machines lined the walls.

Of course the Bosses would choose him. Without his immortality, this would be an easy chance to get rid of him.

And they didn't waste any time with their efforts. The others faded leaving one other in the room with Kevin. The others would be fighting their own fights, but unseen and untouchable by them.

His opponent now was the same member of Metal that had pulled him through the portal. He looked at Kevin with a sick gleam in his eye. "It shall be fun to watch you squirm."

Kevin loosened up his legs and began to bounce a bit. "We'll just see about that."

He charged, a fist held back. As he delivered the blow, Kevin fell back under the fist. One of his legs flew up and over the assailant's arm, so he was straddling it. He continued his spin and brought his elbow to the man's jaw, sending him sliding across the wood.

But the man stood, wiping some blood from his lip.

"I never asked your name," Kevin said as he continued his light bounce.

He sneered, showing filed teeth. "What does it matter? You won't live long enough to use it!" He reached behind his back. Kevin saw the move and twisted as a dagger was thrown through the air. He rolled to the floor, more daggers following his movement. His roll ended in a sprinter's crouch and he lunged, bowling into the man. Kevin released and bounced back up.

He rolled and staggered to a stand. Now his eyes were fierce and hated. He barely stopped to set his footing before he charged.

Kevin casually stepped aside and he ran headfirst into a meat cruncher. Kevin stepped back as blood and bones splattered the wood just in front of the machine. "I only wanted your name."

He turned back to the center of the room as another body materialized in front of him. It was his possible ally from Earth. He was covered in drops of blood, but he looked as fit as if this were his first round.

Kevin started to shake as a wave of fear came over him, but he pushed it down. "Ah, this is what I've been waiting for."

"Really? I have also been looking forward to this match."

"You remember our bargain, right?" Kevin started his bounce.

"I do." He reached behind his back and pulled out something. It looked like a small hammer with a ridiculously large head. Anyone looking at it would call it almost comical, but Kevin knew enough to be very afraid.

The weapon he now faced was a Megaton Hammer, an elemental item. It was similar to his Wind Band except the Hammer granted the user the power to control rock. This was going to be a very tough fight indeed.

The hammer dug into the ground repeatedly, creating a machine gun of sharp rocks that buzzed towards Kevin's head.

Kevin dropped into a Hurricane Spin, using his rotating feet to knock the rocks out of the way. Then he added his wind powers with it, creating an actual hurricane around his body as he spun. Suddenly his body was moving towards his opponent.

But the man slammed his hammer straight into the ground, sending up a pillar of rock that sent Kevin up and over.

Using another burst of air, Kevin straightened out his flight and landed gently on his feet.

They entered another stare-down, each grinning, pleased. "That was quite a display of elemental power," Kevin said with a salute.

"Thank you. The same."

Kevin began to circle around. "I never got your name."

"I am the Great Goron," he said, the hammer moving up to lean against his shoulder.

"Don't tell me. Legend of Zelda speed run."

He smiled. "Correct, you are. Gorons were always my favorite race. It only made sense that I would be on the Earth team."

Kevin stopped walking. "That does make sense. Should we go ahead and end this?"

He lowered his hammer. "You ready to give up?"

"Not quite." The band on his wrist glowed blue and he held his arms out. A rush of wind blasted across the arena.

Goron lowered his weight and leaned forward, using his weight to keep himself planted. He hollered out, his voice barely audible over the wind, "You'll have to do better than that."

Kevin smirked. He brought his arms back in and the wind suddenly shifted directions.

The man's weight, combined with the wind, now forced him onto his face and into a tumble. He rolled past Kevin and straight into a metal saw.

Kevin looked over his bloody work with sadness. He knew it wasn't real, but it still hurt him. "I'm sorry, my friend. You were an excellent opponent. But I really need your help."

He put the vision out of his head by turning back to the arena's center. Now it came time for the real challenge. He had promised the victory to Fire. Assuming they made it to the final round, he'd have to find a way to lose without actually dying.

The big problem was that that wasn't possible in this game.

**Disclaimer: Mortal Kombat is copyright of Midway Games and is not used for profit in any way.**


	14. Chapter 12

12

Kevin breathed a heavy sigh of relief when his final challenger appeared. It was Fire, but a different man than the one he talked with.

The man started by bringing his hands together in front of his chest and bowing.

"Are you always so formal?"

He came back up. "Usually. I felt it would be a good show of sportsmanship. And to keep up appearances about your loss."

"Yeah, about that, I kinda have to win this time."

He gave a huff. "I should have expected the Wind to change directions. You just can't stand the thought of lowering yourself willingly."

"It's not that at all," he pleaded. "If I don't win this match, I'm dead. I can't come back. So I need to stay alive. I'm the only one who can help the rest of you."

The two stared down. "And you are still willing to help us?"

"Yes. We all deserve to get out of here."

"Very well." He lowered himself into what looked like a Tae-kwon-do stance. "Let's just have a good fight and see who comes out on top."

"_Fire is all about honor."_ He kept Princess' words in his mind. If he fought well, maybe they'd still help him. He returned the bow and began to bounce. "May I ask your name?"

"Searing Flametounge." He took a step forward and threw a punch from the other side of the arena. A rush of flame leapt from his fist and barreled towards Kevin. He brought his hand down and a wind pushed the flames to either side of him. Sear smiled. "It appears we will be having an elements battle."

Kevin nodded, beads of sweat forming on his brow from the heat. But it would be hard winning with just air. He'd have to use a similar trick to the one he used on Great Goron.

But Sear threw the first attack again. He swept a foot along the floor and fire propelled out. Kevin jumped into the air and the flames passed below him. But Sear launched another flame jet straight for him.

Anyone else would be doomed without something to control their movement. But Kevin had the air. He tucked his body in and spun, creating a twister of air that spun the flames outward around him. Even before his feet hit the ground, a rush of air was propelling him forward. A rotation of air formed around his fist.

Sear leaned his body back, but wasn't fast enough. Kevin brought the hit forward and released the air. The area seemed to explode. Sear flew back, spinning in the air, and smashed into the wooden wall, splintering the boards and leaving a small impact crater. He'd completely missed the death machines.

Kevin groaned. He'd put a lot into that attack and hadn't gotten anything for it.

Sear fell to the floor heavily and slowly pushed himself up.

Or maybe not. Sear looked weak from that smash. Perhaps it would give him an advantage in the rest of the fight. He was about to rush in when Sear held put a hand, causing him to stop.

"Stop." He started to teeter but caught himself. "I forfeit."

Kevin stopped and wondered for a moment. It could be a trap. But Fire didn't double-cross, it completely went against their code. "Why?"

Sear smiled. "You fought even when you easily could have lost your life forever. I respect such bravery. Claim your prize. Save us from the tyranny." His body began to lean to one side. Kevin watched in horror as it fell onto a rapidly rotating blade.

"I will. On my honor, I will save you all."

The light overtook him and the arena was replaced once again by the blackness of the Nexus. He stood at the exact center once again. The other players cheered, but mostly half-heartedly while the Bosses looked down on him. He could almost feel the malice emanating from them.

"So, Phantom, you have triumphed once again. You don't know how lucky you are."

"But as are the rules of the tournament, here is your prize."

The Crozius Arcanum shimmered before him, the cross at its tip glowing brightly. Kevin reached out and clasped a hand around the shaft.

"I doubt you will fare so well again."

The light started to grow around them.

Kevin acted fast. He pulled the long staff up and thrust it down into the ground, directly where the six lines of light crossed. Blue sparks jumped across the ground, following the multicolored paths. The energy flowed out and around every team until with a crash, the very light seemed to shatter.

The light faded and the players looked around in wonderment. None of them knew at all what was going on.

But the Bosses knew very well. "What are you doing?!"

"The Nexus is broken." Kevin pulled the staff from the ground. "We will not be your playthings any longer."

The players looked really confused now. They looked at each other and at the orbs for answers.

Kevin turned, looking at each one. "You've suffered long enough! Do you want to be free?"

For moment there was silence. No one answered. He continued moving his gaze to every being. His eyes finally settled on Princess' and froze. He wasn't sure, but he thought he saw something there in her eyes. Was that…fear? No, it was strength. She hardened her face and walked out to the center to join him.

The others watched. No one had ever left their section of the Nexus.

But her act seemed to spread strength to the others. One by one, they stepped forward, until everyone but the Metal team was standing with Kevin.

The Metal team just sneered.

The Bosses were furious. "How dare you rise against us!"

"This shall not stand!"

Another light began to build from the glowing orbs. Kevin had seen this before. It had happened to one other before him. But now he could defend against it. He held the Crozius over his head, and it too began to glow brightly.

A dark wave shot down from above. The ground below them shook as the wave contacted the light of the Crozius. But the darkness dispersed around them and it was still again.

Princess chanced a look out. The Metal team was gone. Where they had stood lay three piles of bones.

"You can't harm us any more!" The other players joined Kevin in rebuking the Bosses, shouting and spitting up at them.

For a moment, the Bosses remained in silent fury. Until the light blue one began to pulse lightly and laughter filled the space. The players fell silent as the laughing grew to a roar. "HAHAHA! How can you possibly hope to defy us?! We rule the Games!"

"Perhaps. Perhaps not." Kevin paused. It may not have shown on the outside, but he was shaking from fear. This next step would completely put him over the edge. He was already in deep, but others had been here before and survived. If he went the full Monty, there would be no turning back. He pointed the Crozius Arcanum up at the light blue orb. "You were hailed as the greatest of the Bosses. So I, ONI PHANTOM, CHALLENGE YOU, PHANTOM, FOR THE RIGHT TO RULE THE GAMES!"


	15. Chapter 13

**13**

From the look on everyone's face, you'd think Kevin had suddenly sprouted a second head. Any little faith they had in him was swiftly dwindling. Princess came up and put a hand on his shoulder. "Kevin, are you insane?! You can't beat a Boss!"

"I can't, but WE can." He grabbed her hand and put on the staff just above his. "As long as you stay with me in heart, I can use that for strength." He took the staff and held it out. "Come here, all of you. Put your hand on the staff."

They were reluctant at first, but one by one they came forward to place their hand firmly around the staff. With each new touch, the light grew brighter.

"Believe in me. We CAN do this." He loosened his grip and pulled his hand off of the glowing Crozius. Just as he did, he vanished.

---------------------------

Kevin was surrounded by darkness. There was no floor below him, though he felt a solid mass. There was absolutely no light, and yet he could sense everything around him.

"You're a fool, you know that?"

He laughed. "I think you're absolutely right." He turned and faced the blue orb that now floated directly in front of his face. "But I know that you can't do anything to me while you're in that form."

The orb moved away and up into the air. It slowly began to glow brighter. From nowhere, a cold wind began to blow, creating a spiraling vortex around the orb. The light began to expand as a sort of blob, creating a tall form of a man. The wind moved inward, swirling around the arms and legs and flowing across the torso. Particles seemed to somehow join the wind, creating a strange appearance of something solid. The light underneath faded into nothingness.

Kevin looked up into the air. He had known this would come: all of the Bosses had given up their former bodies for new forms of power. But the sight still struck his heart with fear. This was the true Phantom, Greatest of the Bosses and a being with almost no physical mass.

The next moment, the fear seemed to dim on its own. A warmth spread through his chest and down his limbs. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply. The others were still there, focused on him and giving him strength. His eyes opened, refocused on the task.

Phantom struck. He barely moved an arm and a sudden blast of wind was suddenly forced down on Kevin's shoulders. He pushed back, trying to get his body back up, but the wind felt like water, crushing his shoulders towards the floor. His mind reached out to his friends, still focused on his plight. He felt around and found the Great Goron.

His legs became filled with a new strength that seemed to come from nowhere. "Power of Earth!" His body slowly lifted up against the rushing wind until he was once again standing upright.

He reached out and saw Pierce the Darkness and Freezing Rain from Light and Water. He brought up an arm, causing his shoulders to scream in pain, and a wave of water rose up to meet it. He brought up his other hand that began to glow brightly. With a push, the water and light shot out like bullets.

The massive form of air separated itself and the attacks moved through the hole. It was enough. The crushing wave of air vanished. And yet it had done the job. Kevin's body felt like lead from the exertion he had just gone through.

Phantom started to reform his body.

Kevin would probably be able to do just one more attack. His leg kicked into the ground and a boulder flew up towards Phantom. The Boss's body seemed to melt again and the rock flew past.

Something moved in the lower part of Phantom's stomach. That's what Kevin had been looking for. It was red, beating slowly, and the only remaining part of Phantom's physical body: the heart.

Kevin began to move his arms in wide circles and a wind began to swirl. His mind went out to touch Princess. She was still there, but it almost felt like she was weak herself. He could sense that she didn't really think this would work.

His arms, still moving is circles, began to move closer to his chest, and the swirling winds tightened, creating dozens of tiny tornados around his body.

"_Come on, Princess. I need you for this one."_ She started to get stronger, but faltered. She still wasn't completely sure she was able to do this. _"For your family."_

Her entire mood seemed to change in that one instance. Her head nodded, almost like she could hear him at that very moment, and he could feel her strength joining his.

The winds continued to compress as his circles became smaller and smaller. The wind smashing against itself and rubbing sounded like a hurricane smashing the beach, but still he forced it all smaller. Finally, the ever-flowing winds came in, still swirling with a roar, to a sphere the size of a large baseball. His arms still flowed around it, keeping it all together.

The hole in Phantom's chest was just about resealed.

Kevin felt Seer, and his fingers became alight with fire. He flicked them here and there as they moved, creating a thin red barrier over the destructive vortex. After another second of swirling, his hands finally stopped and held it. It was finally ready.

But it was almost too late. In another second, Phantom would be whole again, and he'd lose his only chance. The heart swirled around the gap in the chest, willing it to close faster.

Kevin took the sphere of wind up and hurled it, a blast of wind firing it off. The aim was right on, but Kevin feared that it would be too slow.

The tiny red haze around the sphere began to deteriorate as it flew. The gap became tighter and tighter, the orb coming closer and closer.

"_Go. Go."_ He watched it like the winning slam of the World Series, begging it to go just a bit faster, just a bit further.

The gap sealed just as the sphere was passing through. The fire shield shredded. All of the wind that had been forced down into the tiny confined space tore out, finding any way of release. The blast was incredible, even knocking Kevin down and over his head twice and threatening to blast out his eardrums.

It took several seconds for the wind to die down. When it did, Kevin pushed himself weakly to his feet. The entire area around him was now deathly calm.

A small red blob pulsed several yards away. Kevin walked over. The heart had somehow survived.

A wind began to swirl around him. The heart began to float back up!

"Oh no." He brought his foot up and pushed the organ back to the floor. He looked away and cringed before his foot fell and popped the mass like a balloon.

---------------------

There was a flash from above. The other five Bosses appeared overhead, but they weren't simple orbs of light. Each one appeared as a twisted form of their respective elements. The Earth Boss looked like a massive pile of rocks with legs. The Water was a massive collection of water in the form of a human. And none of them had faces.

For a while, none of them moved. It started to make Kevin nervous. What were they trying to do? "I have defeated Phantom. I claim my place as ruler of the games!"

Each Boss slowly raised an arm until it their palms were held out towards him. In each palm, a strange intricate symbol appeared.

For a second, Kevin wondered if they were going to strike him. They were very well capable of doing it now. But they were bound by the laws of the games, so they actually couldn't.

The symbols began to glow and spilled light onto the floor around him. A wind started to circle around him, brushing against his skin. The light began to pool at his feet and spread upwards.

He hadn't expected this and didn't know quite how to react. One part of his mind screamed in fear, telling him to strike back. But another part seemed to almost want this. As the light spread over his body and the wind grew in strength, he could feel himself growing stronger. The shear power coursing through his body grew exponentially with every passing moment.

The light completely covered his body. It was hot as a sun, but he welcomed the warmth. It couldn't hurt him. Nothing could hurt him now!

Suddenly the light vanished. He opened his eyes to find himself up among the other Bosses. He could feel, or actually not feel, that his body was gone. The wind blowing around him gave his body shape and ultimate power.

The other Bosses held whatever form of hand they had over their chest and bowed low. And they were right to bow. He was now the Greatest of the Bosses, unchallengeable!

He was Oni Phantom!


	16. Chapter 14

**14**

Oni Phantom appeared with the other Bosses over the group of players. The others had gone back to being simple orbs of light, but he retained his empowered form.

The mortals below looked up in fear. None of them knew quite how to react. They'd never seen or heard of the Bosses appearing like this. At first, a terrible fear that Kevin had failed filled all of them. But they were still connected through the staff, and a realization that what was once Kevin floated before them now created an even deeper fear.

Oni Phantom was simply filled with amusement. They'd actually helped him become the greatest being in all of existence. How stupid could they be?

The faces of the group betrayed their varied emotions. Some of the younger players were completely terrified, and looked like they could burst into tears any second. Others, like Seering Flametongue and Great Goron, wore masks of hatred. They'd put their faith in him and he'd given nothing back. They were all pathetic.

His eyes passed over Princess of Persia's and locked. Her face stumped him for a moment. It didn't seem to show any kind of emotion. But he could hear her thoughts. _"Why?"_ she asked in pain. The Crozius Arcanum was held loosely in her hand—all the others had released it in shock when the Bosses showed up—and still connected them.

When he'd first looked at her, Oni Phantom wanted to just laugh. Her weakness made him feel so much better. But he suddenly found that he couldn't. Her body gave no sign, but he could sense that she was on the extreme edge of soulful tears. And knowing that struck him.

"_I…"_ He was at a complete loss. Only nanoseconds before, he felt so powerful he could crush them all and not feel any remorse. Why was he faltering?

No! He wasn't faltering now. She was keeping him from faltering again. He'd sworn to help them against this. And now he became the very thing he was to save them from.

He looked down at his body. Or his lack of a body. _"No. This is not what I shall become!"_

He turned back to the other Bosses. They hadn't heard anything that had gone between them. He raised a hand and a wind blasted through them. Like dust, the light blew away. It was such a simple move, but it finally ended it. He was controller and in full control of himself.

He looked back at the others, who had suddenly become curious. "You shall return to your homes." With a sudden wink, they were gone. Except for Princess, who still clutched the Crozius.

Kevin focused on the wind. The amount of wind began to diminish, reducing his size. He also focused the wind around his face, giving as much of a face to the form as he could, until he stood before Princess. He held out his hand, asking for the staff. "You must go as well."

She clutched the staff a little harder. She was still slightly fearful. "What…what about you?"

Kevin looked away. "I am a Boss now. I must remain here, as ruler of this realm."

Princess gasped. "You…you can't…?" Kevin shook his head and she suddenly came to the realization. "You knew this would happen."

"I was hoping I could get away without it getting this far." He looked back at her face. "It's alright. You saved me from something much worse," he said, trying to form a smile with the wind. "You can go home."

She shook her head, taking a step back. "No. I won't leave you here alone."

"Princess, give me the STAFF!"

"NO!"

Kevin raised a hand and a wind blew towards her hand. She saw it coming, but couldn't stop it. "Kevin! No…" The staff was knocked from her hand and she vanished.

Kevin slowly lowered his hand as the Crozius Arcanum stuck half into the floor. He paused, looking over the glowing shaft and cross. Long ago, the Crozius Arcanum had actually been created by the gods to stop the Bosses, and so was essentially poison to them. Touching it would suck out his powers and kill him.

But he found himself walking towards it. As a Boss, he'd be stuck here for all eternity. Truthfully, he'd rather not live than live that long alone.

It stood a few feet away. His arm made entirely of wind rose up, fingers outstretched. His life began to pass before him: his first kiss, the first time he played DDR, the biggest victory of his career at New York. The final image his mind settled on was Princess.

His fingers closed around the staff. A searing heat blasted through him, even hotter than when he first transformed. He clenched up, wishing for his hand to let go of the staff, but it wouldn't. "No. No, I don't want to do this." But it was too late.

The wind dissipated in all directions and the heart fell to the ground, completely motionless.

------------------------------

He fell to the cold floor, knocking his head hard. He grimaced and reached up to hold his aching skull. Where was he? He pushed himself up slowly and looked around. Blinking and beeping machines were lined in rows around him.

"You alright back there, Kevin?"

What was going on? He should be dead! "I…I'm fine, Mr. North." He stood slowly, looking around. It was definitely the boardwalk arcade; he could hear the wave's crash outside. He had fallen onto the DDR pad.

But the screen was black with a single line of text. He rubbed the back of his head as he leaned in to read it.

"_You sacrificed yourself for others. For that, you gain a 1-up."_

Kevin stared at the screen in wonder.

"What happened?" North suddenly stepped into view and the screen flashed to a standard completion screen. "I heard a crash."

"Uh…yeah. I slipped. I need some new shoes."

North patted him on the back and started hobbling back to the front. "Make sure you get them broken in before Boston next week."

Kevin followed him, looking back one more time to the machine that had caused all this trouble.

-----------------------

It had taken him some time to convince himself to go ahead with the DDR Street competition. Part of him said he'd had enough of games. But no one would believe him if he told them why he quit and he loved DDR, so he continued on.

He was wearing simple jeans and a T, his costume in a duffle bag. The bus left in an hour, which was just enough time to get to the station. He stopped at the mailbox on the way out, seeing the mailman walk by only minutes before.

A single letter sat inside the black box. It contained an address he had never seen: from a Lucy Camille in Lake Hill, Wisconsin. He ripped it open.

Inside was a picture and short letter. He looked at the picture. It was a man, woman, and two children. Kevin stopped and looked closer at the woman's face. It was incredibly familiar.

He scrolled over the letter.

"_Dear Kevin,_

_It took me some time to find the proper address. But I'd like to thank you for what you did for me. You brought my family back to life, and I will never forget you._

_Good luck in Boston._

_Princess"_

Kevin smiled. She'd always been a sly one. He put the picture and letter back in the envelope and stuffed it into his pocket. He'd have to send a letter back later. But right now, he had a game to play.


End file.
